Prominent former WFSB/Channel 3 site in downtown Hartford goes up for sale

HARTFORD — A half acre at a prominent gateway to downtown Hartford — vacant since the former Broadcast House was torn down in 2009 — is going up for sale, its longtime owners unable to pull together a viable redevelopment plan.

AI Engineers, Inc. of Middletown purchased the property at 3 Constitution Plaza in 2008 and announced splashy plans for a 12-story, $40 million office tower.

But those plans were subsequently downsized and, at one point, office space was combined with apartments. A hotel also was considered for the site, at the foot of the Founders Bridge. Each of the plans went nowhere, financing and falling demand for office space a constant obstacle.

The vacant Broadcast House — built in 1961 — deteriorated into an eyesore after WFSB/Channel 3 relocated its studios to Rocky Hill in 2006 — and was demolished soon after AI Engineers, led by Abul Islam, acquired the property.

However, the vacant lot itself has become an eyesore, surrounded by a chain-link fence and splashed with graffiti. Plans for a pop-up park to spruce up the property’s appearance also fizzled.

AI Engineers paid $700,000 for the property, $1 million below its original listing price. The property now is being listed without an asking price.

AI Engineers did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday.

The property coming up for sale follows the successful conversion of the neighboring Sonesta Hotel into apartments in 2015. Plans for more rentals at 200 Constitution Plaza fell through earlier this year.

The property, represented by the Hartford office of commercial real estate services firm CBRE, is being marketed as an urban redevelopment opportunity, close to the center of the city, and the Connecticut River with nearby access to highways. The marketing also highlights the momentum behind apartment construction in and around the downtown area in the last decade.

“3 Constitution Plaza is an iconic, landmark site with excellent visibility at the gateway to downtown,” John M. McCormick, of CBRE’s Hartford, said, in a statement. “We believe the current multifamily development momentum combined with new retail offerings and a greater return to the office in 2024 will generate significant interest from both developers and end users.”

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Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com